Monsters of the Deep--Grimfosse

           A bald, long-faced grimfosse whisked by the mages, its black eyes glittering. It clutched a violin, playing madly. A smaller one with oodles of frondlike green hair, fiddled beside it. Kailey reached for her magic, concentrating to pull just the right amount, but as she flicked her hand, the creature shifted. Its violin spun away, a steaming scorch mark in the center. 

           It hurtled toward her, claws outstretched, face contorted with anger. She tried to swim away, but the grimfosse latched onto her hair and scrabbled at her ears. She smacked its vicious hands, earning herself catlike scratches along her fingers and face. If her earplugs came out, she’d be at the mercy of their music. Through the flailing arms of her attacker, she saw more approaching, drawn by the shrill songs of the first pair. 

Then, like a trickle of water, so gentle that she almost didn’t notice, music seeped into her mind. She reached to press in the loose plug, but the monster wouldn’t let her. Besides, why would she block out such lovely music? Lulled by the violins, she stopped fighting. She felt a sting on her neck. Another, just lower, as her gills closed. Through blurred vision she saw the other mages isolating a grimfosse. No one noticed she wasn’t breathing. No one knew that her gills no longer worked and her lungs were filling with water. She would drown, enchanted music ringing in her ears.

Who are some of your favorite monsters?

What if political debates were held at underwater venues?

Potential voter prepping for undersea event

·         What to wear:

·         Formal diving gear comes across as too highbrow. Instead, candidates should wear swim trunks or bathing suits, thus endearing themselves to the common swimmer. Unfortunately, those with bulging bellies run the risk of offending the health-conscious surf crowd. These candidates should  sport dreadlocks to camouflage their girth and reel in the surf vote, although polling indicates that surfers are not easily lured. Thong bikinis and speedos must be avoided at all cost.

·         To best manage hair: Crew cuts are recommended so that billowing bangs won’t detract from a candidate’s message. However, fishtail braids are appropriate for any candidates not interested in shorter styles.

·         Preventing drift:

·         The entire venue must be anchored. This will prevent the debate from shifting all over the ocean floor. This may also keep candidates from drifting with ever changing political currents.

·         For their safety, candidates must be tethered  to their podiums to keep them from floating away or surfacing at inappropriate times. Ideally, this will inspire them to be equally tethered to their ideas, keeping in mind that flipping and flopping are only acceptable underwater.

·         Health concerns:

·         Helmets or facemasks with built-in microphones and oxygen supply must be provided. Any candidate who loses their train of thought or speaks aggressively or irrationally must have their oxygen levels checked to be sure that their supply is adequate.

Where would you like to see political debates? On the moon? At Hogwarts or Mt. Olympus?

A favorite character from my underwater fantasy novel

“In through the mouth, out through the gills,” Kailey muttered as she swam across campus. She didn’t need the reminder, of course. Breathing water came naturally to her, much easier than sucking dry air. Still, she repeated the phrase. It calmed her, kept her mind off Finn’s dwindling magic.

She shook her head, trying to focus. Otherwise, the creature she was supposed to tame today would rip her apart. Or worse, she’d be stuck swimming the ocean instead of riding a powerful, magical mount. As she approached the stables, she summoned her magic, winding it into a fiery coil at her core.

While Mistress Spinner hooked her to other students, Kailey wished she’d thought to stand closer to Mariana or Zephyr. Instead, her clips held her to mages she hardly even knew. She treaded water, determined to avoid unpleasant piles on the ground. On the other side of the stables, the vortex swirled invitingly, granting safe passage from the deeps to the twilight and sunlit zones.

As Kailey entered the funnel, Spinner blasted the mages forward like chunks of rock from a volcano. Not that the current was hot. Once Kailey calmed down, she enjoyed the wild ride. It seemed familiar. Too familiar. Her body tensed. She fought panic as her mind flooded with memories of another ride, years before, when she breached the ocean’s surface for the very first time.

            She had been very small, clinging to someone as they bobbed in the gloom of the twilight zone, waiting for the ride to begin. A swift kiss brushed her cheek and she gazed into mournful green eyes. Tritey’s eyes.

“I shall miss you, angelfish.”

            Gentle hands looped a shimmering strand around her neck.

            “Wait,” someone cried. “What if they can’t breathe?”

            “I’ll send an elemental. If necessary, she’ll bring them back.”

            The elemental arrived, her gold hair trailing her like streamers. When her current hit, Kailey screamed, first in fear, then delight. They stopped in a secluded cove. What happened next was horrible, the stuff of her nightmares. As her face broke the surface, she choked on the cool, dry air. Every breath had been torture, searing her lungs like hot smoke.

She felt feverish just remembering it. Yet now she swept upward into the brilliant turquoise of the photic zone, despite her desire to stop. Her fingers clenched involuntarily.

Surely we’re tracking underwater mounts.

As her anxiety escalated, Kailey struggled to restrain her magic, desperate not to shock the sprites on either side of her. She trained her gaze on clouds of orange and white clown fish and shoals of silvery anchovy to distract herself. Still, the sea floor rushed upward. The ocean grew shallow. Finally the group drifted to a stop alongside a towering kelp forest.

Kailey trembled with relief. The kelp canopy kissed the ocean’s face some hundred feet above. No chance of accidental surfacing. Still a little shaky, she unhooked her clip then settled alongside Mariana and Zephyr in a thick carpet of seaweed and fluffy sponges.

Who are some of your favorite fictional characters and why?